KIRKUS REVIEW

In the penultimate Throne of Glass
book, Aelin meets unexpected obstacles as her enemies move against her and her
allies.

Aelin may have put her role as
assassin Celaena behind her, but that doesn’t mean Terrasen’s nobles are
willing to hand the kingdom over to a young woman with her kind of past.
Knowing the Valg king Erawan is a true threat to the entire world, Aelin must
form alliances for the imminent war while uncovering the price once paid to
halt Erawan—the price to stop him for good, because he’s moving fast and
striking hard. This plot expands the world, introducing new delights such as a
pirate haven (and—of course—naval battles) and swampy ruins in Eyllwe, as the
cast also expands, with nods to the novellas collected in The Assassin’s Blade. (That said, with the number of characters
presented and minimal recap, readers will wish there were a dramatis personae.)
Much of Aelin’s scheming occurs off-page, as secondary characters’ viewpoints
take on narrative weight—despite the occasional redundancy, this adds richness,
as such characters as Manon enjoy deeper development, and Lysandra anchors the
best action sequence. Romance runs rife (the main cast is mostly straight, with
nods to queer minor characters) and this everyone-is-breathtakingly-beautiful-(and-also-mostly-white)
world. Readers of Maas’ other series will spot her touch, especially in descriptions
of lovemaking and the cliffhanger ending.

Be the first to discover new talent!
Each week, our editors select the one author and one book they believe to be most worthy of your attention and highlight them in our Pro Connect email alert.
Sign up here to receive your FREE alerts.